Telstra unveils 5G Touch and Track prototype: a new way for vision impaired Australians to experience live AFL
Visual: We see the words “TELSTRA 5G X AFL”. We then see footage of a man wearing a blue hoodie and baseball cap. Cut to a man talking to camera with the words, “Shaun Keath: AFL Bulldogs Supporter”.
Shaun voiceover: I was born totally blind. I’ve been told I’m in analogue mode when everybody else is in high definition. My name is Shaun and I’m a mad Doggies supporter and I have been for many years. Growing up in the country, you had to play footy, there was no other option.
Visual: Shaun walks to the MCG, hand in hand with his partner, Danielle. We cut to Danielle talking directly to camera with the words, “Danielle Lange: Shaun’s partner”.
Danielle (Shaun’s partner) voiceover: Three things I love about Shaun: he always makes sure that I’m happy, his love for life and he doesn’t let his vision get in the way.
Cut to Shaun talking to camera again with a montage of a Sherrin football and football medals, followed by colourful blurs of football match on a field as a visually impaired person might experience it. We also see Shaun sitting alone in a stadium listening to the match with his headphones.
Shaun voiceover: There’s probably only a couple of things that I wish I could do if I was fully sighted. One would be to drive a car and the other would be to fully experience an AFL game. I experience it fully through sound: I really rely on my headphones to visualise what’s happening on the field. I do find that very isolating.
Cut to “Chris Harrop: Sports Technology Lead Telstra” talking to camera. He is sitting in an empty stadium. Cut to footage around the field at Marvel Stadium and then technicians looking at the touch and track screen.
Chris voiceover: Telstra and the AFL have been in business for over 20 years. More recently, Telstra is the technology and innovation partner for Marvel Stadium. We’re working closely with the team for Field of Vision. The 5G touch-and-track device will enable vison impaired fans to track the ball movement in near real-time around the ground.
Cut to “Corey Durdin AFL Player Carlton” talking to camera. He is sitting in an empty stadium. We see an image of Chris with his sister Shianne who has a white cane with her.
Corey voiceover: This project is really important. I connect to that personally because my sister Shianne is visually impaired, and it’d be fantastic for her to watch the same way every other fan can.
Cut to vision of Shaun following the footy action on a tablet with his finger. Him and Danielle laugh together.
Chris voiceover: The prototypes we’re doing at the moment will help give us early feedback to make this experience as good as it can be in the future.
Shaun voiceover: It’s quite remarkable. It’s something that I thought would never be around. I could just follow the game with my finger and feel for the vibrations for who kicked a goal and who kicked a point.
Corey voiceover: I’m really looking forward to how technology is going to make the game more inclusive for visually impaired people, like my sister Shianne.
Chris voiceover: This is just the beginning for this project. We’re really looking forward to co-developing the experience with the vision-impaired community. Hopefully, one day we can scale this to all stadiums around the country.
Slow motion vision of Shaun walking onto the empty Marvel Stadium field alone and looks up.
Shaun voiceover: It’s a bit of a game changer. It’s going to be a lot more accessible. It’s gonna bee great for the community.
We end with a pink screen and the Telstra logo with the words: “Every fan is why”.
We want everyone to share in the magic of sport. It’s why Telstra is a long-standing sponsor of the AFL and it’s why creating connection and bringing people together is at the centre of everything we do.
This footy finals season, we’re demonstrating how 5G technology and the power of our network can bring the magic of near real-time sporting action to Australia’s vision impaired audience.
Over half a million Australians are blind or have low vision1Refer to disclaimers, and it’s estimated that more than half the population has some form of vision disorder2Refer to disclaimers. Having low vision doesn’t stop you loving or playing sport – or being a die-hard fan of a club, like Western Bulldogs supporter Shaun – but it can change how you experience it as a fan.
As a person who is blind, Shaun’s experience of AFL games comes mostly through sound, using headphones to listen to commentary and game sounds to visualise what’s happening on the field.
We want to all fans to have access to the technology they need to bring a live AFL match to life. We wanted to explore how technology, underpinned by the speed and responsiveness of our 5G mobile network, could add a new element to the AFL game day that would help people with low vision experience more of the game than they already do.
We’ve been working with the team from Field of Vision and our Telstra Labs team to create a new experience for vision impaired AFL fans, using innovative technology that translates the movement of the ball on-field to a physical device. Using a magnet that moves inside the body of the device, as the Sherrin is kicked and handballed around the oval, a steel ring on the surface moves precisely to where the ball is on the playing field.
With 5G’s near real-time responsiveness, the movement of the ball now matches the roar of the crowd in the background. The physical tablet device is 3D printed with the layout of the field debossed into it – that’s the opposite of embossing, which creates the raised bumps of the Braille alphabet you might be familiar with, or the raised letters on a bank card.
The combination of a debossed playing field and tactile steel ring helps a vision impaired person ‘see’ the action on-field through their sense of touch. As the ball is run and passed around the field, the ring tracks its every motion. As it’s kicked, the fast movement of the ring will match the intensity of noise from the field and the fans – especially if that kick turns into a goal.
Part of our long-running support of the AFL across Australia
Telstra has been working with the AFL for over 20 years, more recently as the technology partner for Marvel Stadium in Melbourne’s Docklands. We’ve already installed our best 5G tech in the stadium and mapped the stadium out digitally to improve the fan experience. This means more fans can use their devices at the same time with less interruption – if you’ve been to a packed-out stadium you know the difference this can make.
We’re proud to have a long-standing association with the AFL, and we look forward to collaborating on more projects like this in the future. It’s our job to connect and bring people closer, and we know that there’s a lot of potential for sport and technology to work together and make this happen.
If you want to learn more about playing sports as a blind or vision impaired person, you can start with Blind Sports Australia, Blind Sports NSW, Blind Sports VIC or the Victorian Blind Football League (also known as AFL Blind). The AFL’s Disability Inclusion program also includes Wheelchair Aussie Rules and AllPlay Footy for kids with disabilities.
Things you need to know
1. A snapshot of blindness and low vision in Australia – Vision 20/20 Australia
By Chris Harrop
Product Owner, Sport - Telstra
Chris joined Telstra in 2016 and has worked closely with our sporting partners on digital products and strategy in that time. In his role, Chris has been able to work at the intersection of sport, technology and entertainment. This has enabled him to work on a wide range of fan experiences from live streaming to AR/VR. Prior to Telstra, Chris worked in TV production and digital services at the ABC. When he is not working, Chris enjoys spending time with his family and watching even more sport.